Training arm assembly

ABSTRACT

Lightweight arm-extending assemblies are used as training devices for sports such as volleyball, football and for individual sports such as boxing and MMA. The arm-extending devices are in the foam of lightweight beams with attachment means for securing the device to the arm of a player to simulate exaggerated abilities of defensive players for conditioning and training an offensive player to face and overcome exaggerated abilities of a defensive player.

This invention relates to sports training equipment. More particularly, it relates to defensive arms and arm assemblies for use in training sports participants in offensive maneuvers and strategies used against defensive opponents while protecting the defensive player participants.

In order to improve offensive skills and train offensive players to anticipate defensive maneuvers, coaches commonly use unusual and artificial devices to exaggerate or amplify the abilities of defensive players, their positions, actions and abilities.

The present invention provides an assembly for simulating exaggerated abilities of defensive players in sports such as volleyball, basketball, football, soccer, lacrosse, boxing, etc. The invention comprises a relatively narrow, lightweight, elongated beam simulating an extension of the defensive player's arm. The arm extension has a handle or grip to be grasped by the defensive player and a strap which secures the player's forearm or wrist to the arm extension, thus stabilizing the arm-extending device. The arm extender may be formed into a two-arm assembly wherein one arm-extending device is secured on each arm of the defensive player and the arm extenders are secured together to simulate exaggerated extended arms of a defensive player. The offensive player is thus conditioned to face and overcome exaggerated abilities of the defensive player and thereby improve his offensive skills.

The training device serves various functions and provides various advantages over prior art devices. Among the major advantages are use of the invention to protect offensive players, during training, from physical contact with defensive players which can lead to injuries such as hand-to-hand, hand-to-face, fingers-to-eyes, hand-to-head, knee-to-knee, elbow-to-ribs, body-to-body and etc. Use of the devices of the invention creates a safe distance between the participants to prevent unnecessary conflict and eliminates unintentional/unnecessary contact between male and female participants during practice/training while allowing injured players to participate with their teammates and contribute to practice without aggravating existing injuries. Other features and advantages of the invention will become more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the appended claims and attached drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the arm extender of the invention;

FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of an assembly of two arm extenders of the invention adapted for simulating a pair of extended defensive arms;

FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3 is a rear view illustration of the two arm assembly in use in a volleyball training exercise; and

FIG. 4 is a front view illustration of the two arm assembly in use in a volleyball training exercise.

The drawing is incorporated into and forms part of the specification to illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention. For clarity of illustration, like reference numerals designate elements throughout the drawing.

The drawing figures are not to scale but are intended to disclose the inventive concepts by illustration. This drawing, together with the description herein, serves to explain the principles of the invention and is only for the purpose of illustrating preferred and alternative examples of how the invention can be made and used.

It will be recognized that the principles of the invention may be utilized and embodied in many and varied forms, and that various materials, component parts and arrangements of components may be employed in utilizing the invention. In order to demonstrate these principles, the invention is described herein by reference to specific preferred embodiments. The invention, however, is not limited to the specific forms illustrated and described in detail.

As illustrated in the drawing, the arm-extending device (see FIG. 1) comprises an elongated lightweight beam 10 having first end 11, a second end 12 and a back face 15. A grip or handle 13 is secured to the back face 15 intermediate the first end 11 and second end 12. A flexible strap 14 is also secured to the beam 10 intermediate the handle 13 and first end 11 to secure the player's forearm or wrist adjacent the back face 15 and stabilize the arm-extending device.

Beam 10 can be as long or short as desired, depending on the sport in which it is to be used and the stature of the simulated defensive player using it. For example, when used in volleyball training the beam 10 should be sufficiently long to extend the defensive player's reach at least twenty-four (24) inches. For visual effect, the second end 12 may be shaped to simulate a human hand, a gloved hand or the like. However, unique hand shaping is not essential to practice of the invention. If desired, the first end 11 may be shaped to rest against or otherwise receive a suitable body part such as the inner elbow or shoulder of the defensive player, thereby providing additional stability and maneuverability for the arm-extending device.

The handle 13 need not be of any particular size or shape. It should only be suitable to allow the defensive player to control the beam 10. For example, the handle 13 may be a simple hand grip as illustrated in FIG. 1; a knob extending from the beam 10; a suitably-shaped notch or groove in the beam 10; an elastic band such as illustrated at 14 in FIG. 1; a glove or the like adapted to receive the player's hand or fingers; or any other suitable means for controlling the arm-extending beam 10.

The materials from which beam 10 is constructed need only be sufficiently light-weight to permit easy maneuverability by the defensive trainer and sufficiently sturdy to withstand impact by a volleyball, football, offensive player or the like against which the training device is deployed.

As illustrated in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, a pair of arm-extending devices as illustrated in FIG. 1 is secured together with a flexible strap 20 so that the two-arm assembly may be used to simulate a pair of vertically extended arms as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. If desired, a neck strap 21 may be attached to each of the arm-extending devices to secure the assembly on the defensive player.

In the two-arm assembly of FIG. 2A and 2B the flexible strap 20 is employed to enable the defensive player to more accurately deploy the assembly in a defensive position such as before a volleyball net 30 or the like as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The neck strap 21 is provided to support the assembly on the body of the defensive player when the assembly is not in active use.

It will be appreciated that the arm-extending device of the invention (such as illustrated in FIG. 1) can be used as a training device in various sports. For example, a defensive player using a device such as shown in FIG. 1 may be used to exaggerate the defensive reach of a basketball player, a football lineman or in various other situations where it is desirable to teach an offensive player strategies to overcome maneuvers of aggressive and/or over-sized defensive players. The defensive player may be a coach, a trainer or other individual who does not possess the abilities of a well-trained and conditioned defensive player but who, armed with the device of the invention, can simulate the abilities of such defensive players. The use of such devices greatly enhances the training abilities of the coach and improves the offensive capabilities of the offensive player being coached.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrates use of the two-armed assembly in a volleyball training exercise. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 an additional elastic strap 16 is affixed near the first end 11 of beam 10. The defensive player's upper arm is inserted through strap 16 and forearm through strap 14. The defensive player's hands grasp handles 13 on each of the paired arm-extending beams 10. The defensive player may then extend the second ends 12 of the beams 10 well above the net 30 and maneuver the assembly to simulate defensive hand positions. The flexible strap 20 aids in maintaining spacing between the second ends 12 and assists the defensive player in simulating defensive positions.

In the embodiment illustrated, the second ends 12 are merely slightly enlarged to simulate hands of defensive players. It will be readily recognized, however, that the second ends 12 may be sized, shaped, painted or otherwise decorated to simulate open hands, gloved hands, etc., depending on the sport and defensive condition being simulated.

The arm-extending device of the invention may be fabricated from any suitable materials, depending on the intended use. The materials of construction should preferably be lightweight but durable. For example, foamed polyethylene, polyurethane or polystyrene materials can be readily shaped to provide beams 10 which satisfy the requirements of the invention. It should also be recognized that the shape and size of the arm-extending device, as well as the materials of construction, may be modified to satisfy the requirements of the sport in which it is used. For example, an extremely lightweight material may be satisfactory where the likelihood of high impact is small. However, where the arm-extending device may encounter repeated high impact collisions, such as with training arms for simulating defensive football players, boxers, etc., the materials of construction should necessarily be sturdier. For example, where the device of the invention is to be used to make contact or impact with the human body (as in basketball and football), a polyurethane or memory foam should preferably be used. Similarly, where the end users are children, a softer memory foam should be used. However, where the devices of the invention are destined to be impacted by high velocity balls such as in volleyball or soccer, a more rigid and firm polyethylene is preferred.

For aesthetics and for protection against wear and damage in use, all or part of the beam 10 may be enclosed in a skin or covering. The covering is preferably flexible material such as athletic vinyl or the like. Such covering not only protects the beam 10 but may be readily decorated to display team colors, logos, etc., and, if provided with removable provisions such as zippers, or the like, can be removed and/or replaced for cleaning, etc.

Use of the devices of the invention provides multiple advantages in various sports. For example, in volleyball, use of the arm-extending devices in practice training:

1. prevents injuries to face, hands and fingers while blocking;

2. reduces wear and tear on the knees and ankles caused by jumping to block;

3. allows shorter players to practice against taller players and allows shorter players to accommodate taller players in practice;

4. assists injured/recovering players to practice without aggravating their injury;

5. allows teams with a limited number of players to practice more effectively by assimilating blockers;

6. allows players to practice in box-standing formation;

7. allows hitters to practice striking the ball against defenders at game-like speed without fear of injuring teammates; and

8. allows parents to participate in drills with their children.

When used for practice and training in basketball, the arm-extending devices of the invention:

1. allows coaches, instructors and other participants to practice drills without unnecessary hand-to-hand contact with the players;

2. allows players to practice at full speed instead of slowing down to avoid physical contact;

3. enables coaches/instructors to evaluate the players at a distance to identify and correct mistakes;

4. enhances skills such as dribbling, jump shots, hook shots, lay ups, etc.;

5. helps shorter/smaller players practice against taller/bigger players;

6. eliminates unnecessary/unintentional contact between male coaches/instructors and female players;

7. allows parents to participate in drills with their children; and

8. allows handicapped individuals to participate in practice and feel like they are part of the team.

When used for practice and training in football, the arm-extending devices of the invention:

1. allows coaches, trainers and players to practice physically with less chance of injuries to hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders;

2. helps receivers work through defensive players when they are coming off the line;

3. allows lineman to work on their tackling techniques; and

4. obstructs the line of sight and helps quarterbacks/kickers learn to throw/kick with obstructions;

When used for practice and training in mixed martial arts (MMA), the arm-extending devices of the invention:

1. helps to check kicks, block punches and close distance;

2. promotes muscle memory and right and left brain movement;

3. allows young kids to practice with older kids;

4. allows males to train with females without unintentional/unnecessary contact; and

5. helps promote flexibility.

When used for practice and training in soccer, the arm-extending devices of the invention:

1. helps goalies block with less likelihood of injuries to hands;

2. reduces injuries to the joints with less jumping/bending;

3. eliminates hand-to-body and body-to-hand contact; and

4. allows players to work on their striking.

When used for practice and training in boxing, the arm-extending devices of the invention:

1. trains boxers to cover up/block punches to the head and straight punches to the body;

2. trains boxers to bob and rotate;

3. trains boxers to understand depth and longer arm reach; and

4. promotes muscle memory.

It will become apparent, therefore, that the devices of the invention may be designed for specific functions in specific sports while providing a broad range of advantages in practice and training in a wide variety of sports.

Although the invention is described herein with specific reference to arm-extending devices for simulating defensive positions and actions in team sports as well as individual sports and the like, it will be recognized that the principles are equally applicable to any sports where exaggerated abilities of a defensive player are suitable for training offensive maneuvers.

While only exemplary embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail herein, it will be readily recognized that the principles of the invention may be used in various forms to provide human arm-extending training devices. It is to be understood, therefore, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the invention have been set forth in detail herein, the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the various embodiments, is to be considered illustrative only. Various changes and modifications may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and materials as well as arrangement and combination of parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed:
 1. A sports training device comprising a) a lightweight narrow beam simulating an extension of a player's arm, said beam having a first end, a second end, a back face and a front face; b) a handle secured to said back face intermediate said first end and said second end; and c) attachment means comprising a first strap adapted to secure a player's forearm adjacent said back face intermediate said first end and said handle.
 2. A training device as defined in claim 1 further comprising: d) a second strap adapted to secure a player's upper arm to said back face intermediate said first end said first strap.
 3. A training device as defined in claim 1 wherein said second end is enlarged.
 4. A training device as defined in claim 1 wherein said second end is configured to simulate a human hand.
 5. A training device as defined in claim 1 wherein said first strap is an elastic band secured to said beam.
 6. A sports training device comprising: a) a first lightweight narrow beam simulating an extension of a player's arm, said first beam having a first end, a second end, a back face and a front face; a handle secured to said back face intermediate said first end and said second end; and attachment means comprising a first strap adapted to secure a player's arm adjacent said back face intermediate said first end and said handle; b) a second lightweight beam simulating an extension of a player's arm, said second beam having a first end, a second end, a back face and a front face; a handle secured to said back face intermediate said first end and said second end; and attachment means comprising a strap adapted to secure a player's arm adjacent said back face intermediate said first end and said handle; and c) at least one flexible strap having a first end secured to said first beam and a second end secured to said second beam.
 7. A training device as defined in claim 6 wherein: a) the first end of said at least one flexible strap is secured to said first beam intermediate the second end and the handle on said first beam; and b) the second end of said at least one flexible strap is secured to said second beam intermediate the second end and the handle on said second beam.
 8. A training device as defined in claim 6 wherein: a) the first end of said at least one flexible strap is secured to and extends from said first end of said first beam; and b) said second end of said at least one flexible strap is secured to and extends from said first end of said second beam.
 9. A training device as defined in claim 1 wherein said beam is at least partially enclosed in a flexible cover.
 10. A training device as defined in claim 9 wherein said flexible cover is removable. 